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Paid parking advocate to be invited to Sarasota

The city of Sarasota is considering hiring one of the country’s leading urban planners and paid-parking advocates to speak to several community groups. The fee to retain his services is $6,000.

Dr. Donald Shoup is a UCLA professor and author of books such as “The High Cost of Free Parking.” The city will ask Shoup to host a series of forums in February to discuss parking in Sarasota and whether parking meters make sense downtown.

Susan Dodd, parking general manager, asked the board of the Downtown Improvement District this week if they would put $2,000 toward the cost of inviting Shoup. The board approved the request.

After he conducts the community forums, Shoup would make a parking proposal for Sarasota. The city wants to form an ad hoc committee of community members to consider that proposal. DID Chairman Larry Fineberg agreed to be part of that committee.